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Sri HayagrIva SthOthram : Part XXXI-->SlOkams:23-25

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Sadagopan • October 3, 2000 


SrimathE RaamAnujAya nama:

Dear BhakthAs :

>From SlOkams 19-22 , Swamy Desikan was absorbed 
in the enjoyment of the lotus feet of Lord HayagrIvan
and their powers of anugraham.In slOkams 23-25 , 
the subject of this posting  , Swamy Desikan shifts 
his attention to the lower right and left  hands of 
Lord HayagrIvan . The upper right and left hands of 
the Lord adorn Sudarsanam and Paanchajanyam .

The right lower hand holds the Upadesa Mudhrai 
and the garland of beads (Japa Maalai) and the left 
lower hand holds a pusthakam ( book ), while embracing
MahA Lakshmi . 

SlOkam 23: VyAkhyAna (UpadEsa) MudhrA & the right hand
******************************************************

SanchinthayAmi prathibhAasAsTAn 
  santhukshayantham samaya pradhIpAn
vij~yAna kalpadhruma pallavAbham
  VyAkhyAna mudhrA madhuram karam tE 

(Meaning): Oh Lord HayagrIvA ! Your right hand is 
resplendent with the Jn~Ana mudhrai intended for
performing Jn~Ana Upadesam for Your BhakthAs.
This Jn~Ana mudhrai is instrumental in instructing
efficently all the saarArthams ( essential and
deeper meanings ) of SiddhAnthams that has to be
grasped by your devotees with sharp intellect( medhai
as invoked by MedhA Sookthi) .

In this matter , Your sacred right hand serves 
as the tender instrument to kindle the wick (mEdhai)
found in the lamps ( dheepams ) known as VedArthams.
Your Jn~Ana-maya ThirumEni is the Kalpakaa tree 
that grants all the boons that your BhakthAs seek 
during their intense meditation.adiyEn thinks 
intensely of Thy sweet and creeper-like tender right
hand ( Madhura-pallavAbha hastham ) , which performs 
Jn~Ana-upadesam for Your UpAsakAs .

The sweet right hand of Lord HayagrIvan holding 
the Jn~Ana mudhrA pose is beautiful to behold.
It is soft like the tender shoot of a KalpakA
tree and is an embodiment of Jn~Anam . It kindles
the eternal lamps of Vedic knowledge lit with
the wick ( dasAsTAn )of bright and sharp intellect 
(mEdhai). This is the akhanda dheepam that is
nourished and protcted by the Lord . VyAkhyAna 
Mudhrai is the symbol of that act of upadEsam
of the siddhAnthams.

Sri D.Ramaswamy Iyengar invites our attention
to Swamy Desikan's adoration of the UpadEsaMudhrA
found in the hand of Sri RaamAnujA ( YathirAja
Sapthathi, slOkam 24 ) , which removes the darkness
of Ajn~Anam. Swamy Desikan's own VyAkhyAna Mudhrai
holding hand has been saluted by his son , KumAra
Varadha Desikan in PiLlai AndhAthi this way :
" Vaazhi VykkhiyA muddhiraik Kai ".

SlOkam 24: The Japa MaalA found in the Right hand
***************************************************

ChitthE KarOmi sphurithAksha maalAm
  savyEtharam Naaatha Karam TvadhIyam
Jn~AmruthOnjana lampaDAnAm
   leelA gaDI YanthramibAsrithAnAm

(Meaning ): Oh Lord HayagrIvA ! I etch in my mind 
Thy right hand that also holds a Japa Maalai, which
resembles a ghatee-yanthram , a machine used for
pumping water from the well for irrigation purposes.
The movement of the beads of Japa Maalai in Your
right hand is blessing Your upAsakAs by bringing up
of the nectar of Jn~Anam from Your inner depths.

The ghatee yanthram is known as " Kavalai yERRam ".
It is a configuration of buckets tied together 
with a rope over a rotating wheel. As it dips into 
the well , water gets filled in the first bucket 
and comes up for distribution to the irrigational
canal ; at the same time , the next bucket goes down 
to fill itself with water and this event repeats
itself continously . Copious amounts of water 
are drawn from the well  with this simple mechanism 
used by the farmers. Swamy Desikan compares 
the movement of the beads of the japaMaalai on 
the right hand of Lord HayagrIvan to the operation of 
this Ghatee Yanthram. In Lord HayagrIvan's case , 
the nectar of Jn~Anam is brought out from His 
inner depths for the benefit of His UpAsakAs.
When we think of Sri Srirama DesikAcchAr Swamy's 
use of the words ,"Muhanthu Muhanthu VeLiYil 
kottuvathu pOl )  one is reminded of ANDAL's 
ThiruppAvai Paasuram passage praying to Aazhi Mazhaik 
KaNNan for aruL Maari ( the life giving waters in 
the form of rain ,which is AchArya SadhupadEsam ):

" Aazhi Mazhaik KaNNA ! --AazhiyuL pukku MUHANTHU
  kodArtthERi --thAzhAthE Saarngamudaittha Peru Mazhai
  pOl Vaazha Ulahinil peythidAi ".

Our DesikEndhran is Lord HayagrIvan and His movement of
Japa MaalA in His right hand like Ghatee Yanthram is
a salutation to His Parama KaaruNIka AchAryakathvam.
Those who are objects of Lord HayagrIvan's kaaruNyam
thru His manthrOpadesam becomes "mithunavAn " , a blessed
One fit to enjoy the bhOgams in this and the other world
(iha-para sukha anubhavams).The term "MithunavAn " 
is found in AruNa KEthukam  Passage in TaittirIya
AaraNyakam (22nd anuvAkam ). 

SlOkam 25:The Left hand of the Lord Holding Pusthakam
******************************************************

prabhOdha SindhO: aruNai: prakAsai:
  pravALa sanghAthamivOdhvahantham
vibhAvayE Deva SAPUTHAKAM tE 
  vaamam karam DakshiNam aasrithAnAm 

(meaning ): Oh Lord HayagrIvA ! In Your lower right hand 
(embracing MahA Lakshmi ) , You adorn a book (pusthakam ).
The redddish hue of Your left palm is spreading like
jaathi pavazham (coral bead assembly )brought out
from the depths of the ocean of Jn~Anam .AdiyEn 
reflects always on the power and glory of this left hand ,
which blesses Your upAsakAs with all desired boons.

The red halo of the pusthakam-holding left hand
reminds Swamy Desikan of the radiance of a cluster
of quality corals (semm-PavaLam )harvested from 
the deep ocean of Jn~Anam .

The red halo seen emanating from the left hand
reminds Swamy Desikan of AruNOdhayam ( Jn~AnOdhyam)
coming to the rescue of those , who sought the feet 
of Lord HayagrIvan as refuge. AruNOpanishad (AruNamEva
PrathibhAdhyathi) and Soorya NamaskAra manthrams
hailing the Soorya-NaarAyaNa SvarUpa Sri HayagrIvan 
are to be associated with the red halo associated
with the pusthakam-holding left (vaama Hastham )
that is uniquely capable (dakshiNam ) of removing
the Aj~nAnam of upasakAs.

Bhadram KarNEbhi: sruNAyama DevA:
Bhadram pasyEma akshibhir yajathrA:
sthirarairangais thushtuvAgumsas: tanUbhi:
vyasEma devahitham yadhAyu:

(Pranavam) Saanthi: Saanthi: Saanthi:

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan      
   
    
 


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           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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